WELL and BREEAM align

In November 2016, the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) and BRE announced an alignment between the WELL Building Standard (WELL) and BREEAM. Combining the two standards is intended to make it easier for projects seeking to conform with them.

The agreement will involve the identification of specific credits which will be recognised by both organisations, resulting in savings in time and money as project teams will not have to submit the same documentation twice.

The WELL Building Standard was launched in 2013, focusing on human health and wellness. It marries best practice in design and construction with evidence-based medical and scientific research – harnessing the built environment as a vehicle to support human health and wellbeing. Since launching, more than 300 projects encompassing 60 million sq. ft have been registered or certified in 27 countries.

BREEAM sets best practice standards for the environmental performance of buildings through design, specification, construction and operation.

Certification in both systems is achieved through the submission of project documentation and on-site post-occupancy performance testing.

WELL's certifying body, Green Business Certification Inc, is working with BRE to identify the applicable credits between the two standards, with an expected completion date of January 2017.

Gavin Dunn, Director of Building Performance Group at BRE, said: “We’re excited about the opportunity to join forces in a way that will advance the inclusion of health and well-being considerations in Europe’s built environment."

Rick Fedrizzi, chairman and CEO, IWBI said: “Since the beginning, IWBI has worked to find ways that WELL can work harmoniously with the world’s leading sustainable building standards, because we believe sustainability and health are synonymous. We look forward to partnering with BRE to advance this important concept by helping project teams who are using both BREEAM and WELL deliver a more sustainable and healthier built environment as efficiently as possible.”

--BRE Group

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